Encounters Festival 2024: Where to See the Best Documentaries in Johannesburg

The ever-popular Encounters Festival returns for its 26th year to showcase the most thought-provoking documentaries from around the world. As Africa’s leading documentary festival, it boasts a robust lineup of compelling filmmaking set to captivate audiences across Joburg (and Cape Town) from 20 to 30 June.

The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival offers intriguing glimpses into global politics and is a vital platform for fostering dialogue, social cohesion, and the nurturing of documentary filmmakers. See our top picks here.

What’s Different This Year?

This year, in partnership with Cinema Solidarity, Encounters Festival presents a Palestine Focus with three stirring documentaries on the topic. Cinema Solidarity is a collective of African filmmakers who believe art is critical in times of crisis.

The group stands in solidarity with multiple ongoing and often interrelated struggles of people against oppression and malevolent forms of power in an increasingly connected world. As filmmakers, they aim to use cinema as a bridge to empathy, dialogue, gathering, and connection.

Where to see documentary films in Johannesburg

The 2024 edition of the Encounters Festival takes place across a varied and accessible selection of venues. These include Ster-Kinekor at The Zone @ Rosebank, The Bioscope Independent Cinema at 44 Stanley in Milpark, and Goethe-Institut Johannesburg in Parkwood. See their social media for updates on additional venues.

Cost: R80 per single ticket per film. Book here

When: From Thursday, 20 June to Sunday, 30 June. Various times and venues.
Where: The Zone, 177 Oxford Rd, Rosebank | The Bioscope Independent Cinema, 44 Stanley Ave, Milpark | Goethe-Institut Johannesburg, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood

Website: encounters.co.za
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @encountersdoc
Facebook: @encountersdoc